"Video Games Aren't Bad For Your Brain..."

Finally, there is an educational game for all ages, rather than just for younger kids. This is a game that requires the brain to think by doing some problems and exercises and is later calculated after the exercises have been done. Some exercises include doing simple math problems correctly as fast as you can or correct memorization skills. All of those exercises either use the touch screen or the microphone feature of the DS depending on which exercise you re doing. Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, a real doctor in Japan, helped lead to the development of this game. It is said to prevent the loss of brain mass and function and keep it young and healthy as long as you stick to the game everyday preferably, the morning. It also comes with other modes such as Sudoku and Training so you can play as much as you want since you can only have your brain age check once a day. The game also keeps track of your status for everything you do so you can see how you have been doing over the course of playing through the game.

Gameplay/Controls: 9/10

The game is basically played with the DS turned to the side. It is very simple to understand the concept of how to play. All it requires you to do is use the stylus to write your answer or use the microphone to say your answer depending on which exercise your doing. It is as simple as that. Each exercise is also well explained by the Doctor. This game will make people of all ages addicted. There are only some mishaps that this game did not receive a full ten. The user must have a decent handwriting because the game might perceive it as a different number or letter which would be considered mistakes. The other mishap is when the user is saying the word blue in the stroop test. The game will occasionally will count that as a mistake and tell you to try again even if you think you are saying the word correctly. That is probably why I don't even do the stroop test.

Graphics: 6/10

There is not really anything special about the graphics at all. I was not impressed with any of it. The floating head of Dr. Ryuta Kawashima looks all unreal and jagged. Overall, I think that it would be better if the surface of the doctor's face looked more real and if they included more pictures in the exercises because they look so plain and blank.

Sound/Music: 8/10

There is not any music while you are doing your exercises to help you concentrate which I actually like. When you tap the screen or write something it has awesome sound effects. The music on the menu or when you are selecting the exercises you would like to do is nice and calm. Overall, the sounds and music is great.

Replay Value: 6/10

This game has a decent replay value mainly because it's a daily training. You will love it and play it everyday, but after a while I got bored of it after earning all for the unlockables which only took me a month of playing to get them.

Overall: 7/10

If you have a lot of spare time and would like to see if your brain is performing well each day, I recommend that you get this game. I actually think that this game is worth the $20 mainly because it can benefit your brain. The price and how it could benefit you are some ways you can convince your parents to buy this game for you and maybe they might enjoy it themselves.